Vibratory finishing apparatus usually include a receptacle filled with abrasive media, and motors for vibrating the receptacle and thereby moving the abrasive media within the receptacle. For example, the vibratory finishing apparatus may include a bowl vibrator or a trough vibrator having a vibration generator (such as one or more motors located at the bottom or side of the receptacle for driving rotating shafts with eccentric weights).
In operation, an object to be treated (such as a fan blade of a gas turbine engine) is placed within the receptacle so that it is at least partly immersed within the abrasive media. For example, only the root of a fan blade may be immersed within the abrasive media. The receptacle is then vibrated by the motor so that the abrasive media moves within the receptacle and rubs against the object and removes a surface layer of material from the object.